Reminiscense
by Reno of the Troika
Summary: Several years have passed. Things have changed. It's hard to remember the past. They used to be a team who could rely on each other through the darkest times. Can they be that same team again?
1. Chapter 1

Title: Reminiscence  
Author: Cloudy Moonshine  
Rating: T  
Summary: Several years have passed. Things have changed. It's hard to remember the past. They used to be a team who could rely on each other through the darkest times. Can they be that same team again?  
Dedication: To my friends, all of them.  
Disclaimer: I don't own prince of tennis.

* * *

"Oi, Ryoma, there's mail for you."

"Hai, Oyaji."

Echizen Ryoma sighed before getting up to retrieve his mail. Baka Oyaji. Probably went through his mail while looking for his latest ero magazine. Wishing his dad wouldn't bother with that stuff was a waste of time of breath. He really didn't know why his mom had let it go all these years.

The years in general had very little effect on Ryoma, mentally and physically. Much to his dismay, he was still short, a fact that continued to embarrass him. The diet Inui had created for him had in fact helped him into a growth spurt. However, at best, he was the same height that Fuji was when they were still on the same tennis team. The thought of meeting the giants Momoshiro and Kawamura once more plagued him, being forced to remember that he would still be "ochibi". However, one thing that would never change was his relationship with tennis. His eyes still held a hidden fire, and tennis was still his passion, obviously seen through some Grand Slam victories. Winning against the same opponents every year was getting boring though. He wanted a challenge again.

However people need to be careful with what they wish for. Things were going to change. He just hadn't known things would change so quickly.

Ryoma was surprised to see a letter addressed to him from Kawamura Takashi. He barely kept up with his old team anymore because everyone was constantly moving from place to place, including himself. At best he knew Kawamura-sempai was still in Tokyo at his father's restaurant. He had heard about Inui and knew that something had happened to make Kikumaru-sempai move to London. He was lucky in just receiving the occasional Christmas and birthday cards. However now was neither Christmas nor his birthday, and he hadn't heard word from any of his sempai in years. He opened the letter, dreadfully curious.

_Dear Echizen,_

_I hope this letter reaches you. If you can, please come back to Japan. Ryuzaki-sensei isn't doing so well, and … I'm not sure how much longer. I'm sorry I only contacted you with bad news, but please come, onegai shimasu._

_Kawamura Takashi_

"Nani?" Echizen whispered.

All of Ryoma's good memories were centered on his time as a Seigaku regular freshman. Tezuka buchou, Oishi fuku-buchou, Fuji-sempai, Inui-sempai, Kikumaru-sempai, Kawamura-sempai, Kaidoh-sempai, and Momo-sempai… those were the central figures of his life. However there were people like his dad and Ryuzaki-sensei who had pushed him to his limits as well. The fact that one of them was dying…

His mind was made up. He wanted change. Now he had gotten it. "Oyaji." His voice sounded hoarse to his own ears.

"What brat?" His father, taking one look at Ryoma's face, snatched the letter. He gave it a cursory glance and sighed. "Ano baa-san…" He looked over at Ryoma with a tight smile. "Pack your bags, brat. The family is finally returning to Japan."

"But what about you and Kaa-san? You guys are comfortable here." Ryoma wasn't about to disturb the peace his parents had created here. He knew he himself had to go; there was no question about it.

"Stupid gaki." Nanjirou looked at Ryoma seriously. "Your mother and I have already discussed moving back to Japan. We've just been waiting for you to decide. And that baba does mean something to me. So hurry up."

Ryoma nodded before running to his room in a flurry of movement.

"Hold on sensei."

* * *

"Syuusuke."

"Hai nee-san," a voice answered cheerfully.

"There's a letter for you in the mail. I believe it's from one of your friends."

"Ok. Arigato nee-san." When Yumiko looked away, the smile magically fell from Syuusuke's face. A letter? He glanced at where the letter had fallen onto the table and sighed. He didn't want to connect with any old friends. However, there was no way to avoid it. Nee-san would make him read it later anyways.

Picking it up, he gave a sigh of relief. Taka-san ka. He smiled at the fond memories in his mind. "I wonder how he's doing." He opened the letter. By the time he finished reading it, his eyes were wide open and one hundred percent serious.

"Matte sensei." He hoped he would make it in time. Stuffing the letter in his pocket, he made his way to his room, a little drag in his steps. He opened the door to his room, giving it a glance.

It was completely covered in photographs, from floor to ceiling. Different perspectives revealing a unique mind in itself. People, flowers, monuments. A whole variety that, with his camera, he had shed a new light with a new perspective. However these photos were not what his gaze was focused on. Instead it was small photo on his desk that had caught his eye. It was a picture from years ago, in a time where his smile came on his face easily. The team was together because of Oishi's desire to go mountain climbing to promote team bonding. That was his favorite picture of the time he had spent with them. Things were so … easy. They didn't have a care in the world. However, after that, things had not had happened as he hoped. Maybe he should have dealt with those things before they had gone to far.

_Rain falling hard… Yuuta's face looking up at him brokenly…_

Syuusuke shook his head hard, willing the memories to leave his mind. If not for sensei, he would have chosen to avoid Japan forever. But sometimes, things just don't happen the way you want them to.

* * *

Tezuka Kunimitsu strolled towards his apartment, a confident air surrounding him, though he stumbled when the door shut behind him. And his air of confidence dissipated. What was left was a shell of his former self.

Life hadn't treated him well. He had recovered from the injury to his arm before nationals all those years ago. However the match against Sanada had destroyed whatever healing his arm had. After that things just got worse.

He had decided to become either a lawyer or a doctor. He was smart enough to succeed in either field. Then tragedy struck the family. His father's business, which had been going strong for years, suddenly became bankrupt. His somewhat easy lifestyle was gone, and he couldn't afford a degree to become a lawyer or doctor.

Tezuka sighed. Instead he had become a trainer. It wasn't a bad job, but it really hurt. It hurt to go day after day and watch other people play a game that he could not. He would train them to the best of his abilities because, no matter what, he was Tezuka Kunimitsu, and he would do the job right.

He spotted a lone letter on his counter and sighed. When had his roommate brought in the mail?

He picked up the envelope. "Kawamura?" he muttered to himself. He was tempted to throw the letter away. He didn't want to reconnect himself to good memories long lost. However he couldn't deny his sudden desire to know what the letter said. After all, he didn't have to reply if he didn't want to. His sense of responsibility had dimmed to a small flame. However, reading the letter burst that withering flame into a larger one, roaring and raging like a proud lion.

Tezuka Kunimitsu wasn't one for surprises, and this one gripped at his heart, squeezing it tightly. "Ryuzaki-sensei."

* * *

Oishi tiredly wiped his eyes. He got up from his desk to get a drink of water. It had been another late night of studying.

The years had taken a toll on him. He was thinner and paler. However he diligently went through his daily routine. He had decided to become a doctor. After learning about Tezuka's problems (which had taken forever to needle out of Tezuka), he had decided that his friend needed someone who could try and help him play tennis again. He was comfortable where money was concerned, so he opted to share an apartment with Tezuka. After the growing money problem in Tezuka's family, Oishi knew this was one way he could help his friend for now while his studies continued.

He suddenly remembered the letter that had been addressed to him earlier. He and Tezuka had both received a letter, but Oishi chose to read his later since he had a lot of studying to do.

Upon retrieving his letter, he found it was from… Taka-san?! He quickly opened the letter, his old maternal instincts rising once more within himself. Though it had been years since Seigaku, he was still a mother hen, as Tezuka and his classmates had reminded him several times. He was relieved that Taka-san was well, but…wait. Ryuzaki-sensei…

"Sensei." His eyes, formerly filled with a desire to sleep, were now full of worry and determination. This went above and beyond those motherly instincts. "Wait for me, sensei."

* * *

"Eiji. Get over here or I'll read your mail!"

Kikumaru Eiji inwardly cursed. Why couldn't his brother mind his own business? Eiji was continuously annoyed by the fact that his brother had no problem invading his privacy.

The duo was currently staying in London. After _the_ incident, the family had tried to stay together, but it was near impossible to do so. Eiji had to give up tennis in order to help pay for the enormous bill that had awaited them. His family was okay money wise, but they hadn't been able to pay for everything and his college intuition. So he had moved in with his brother and made something of himself through a lot of hard work. He just didn't know it would cost him his personal space. He sighed before yelling, "Aniki, give it to me."

His brother's face came into view, suddenly grim. It scared Eiji how his normally smiling brother was suddenly serious and concerned. "Wari Eiji."

Eiji grabbed the letter from his brother's hand and scanned its contents. He was not happy at all with this turn of events. What should he do? Going would probably guarantee an unforeseen meeting with Oishi. However…he sighed. For sensei, it was a risk he was willing to take.

He looked at his brother. "Aniki, I have to go." And he needed to go. He would go distances to make sure anyone on his team, no matter who it was, was alright. Even if it was Oishi, though he refused to think about that.

"Ah, Eiji. I'll go to the travel agency and buy you a ticket."

"Arigato, aniki." He knew if he was in trouble, his annoying Aniki would save him. Staying with his oldest brother had been a little surprising at first, since he had left for college before Eiji had left Seigaku. They had never kept in touch, or even talked for that matter, until _it_ happened. Now, though he wouldn't admit it, the older brother he never really knew was his best friend. And he wouldn't trade him for anyone in the world… well almost anyone… there were a couple he rather wouldn't think about who he would be seeing in just a couple of days.

* * *

"Ii data," Inui said a he read through his mail. He had gotten information from his various sources regarding possible new contesters in tennis.

After high school, he had come up with different possibilities for a job that would suit him. He would have preferred to follow his experimentations on Inui Juice but previous experience showed that it had not been popular on his team, though it served as a great punishm—er, motivator.

So he analyzed his other capabilities. He was good at examining data, especially tennis-related data. This led him to a discussion with Inoue-san about becoming a journalist. And it turned out to be a success. He could accurately predict outcomes with his data and analyze various tennis players for the magazine.

Because of his success, he was paid very well and had time to follow through with his previous desires for experimentation. Of course, such things remained in secret. The world wasn't ready for his deadly creations, after all. His data foresaw that they would never be ready, but he wouldn't let that discourage him.

The letter in front of him with familiar handwriting did not calculate into his percentages.

"Nani?" he whispered while reading the letter. This definitely was a surprise…an unpleasant surprise. He had figured sensei had another 10 years. For something to be happening now… it would be serious. Possibly deadly so.

He picked up his phone, quickly dialing a number. "Hello. Could you book me a flight to Narita International Airport?"

* * *

"Oi Momoshiro-teme," Kaidoh growled. "There's a letter from Kawamura-sempai."

"Eh?!" Momoshiro lazily rolled his head towards Kaidoh. "Mamushi, what does it say?"

The most unlikely pair, Kaidoh and Momoshiro had chosen to become roommates to save money. It had seemed like things would become a disaster, but they were too used to their fighting to take anything personally. Another thing Kaidoh would not admit was that Momoshiro had him worried so much that he felt the need to keep an eye on him.

Things weren't going so well with Momoshiro. He couldn't stick with a relationship, and he had quit tennis. Of course Kaidoh had no idea why, which worried him. Usually Momo would just complain away whatever was bothering.

Of course, that didn't stop Kaidoh from fighting with him. And letting concern show would never help. Instead, he opened the letter and read through it. "Fshhh…"

"Nah, Mamushi, what does it say?"

Kaidoh shoved the letter in Momo's hands and stalked out of the room. Momo looked at the letter, and it made his heart stop. "Baa-san," he whispered brokenly. He quickly raised his voice. "Oi, Mamushi!"

"Hai hai." Kaidoh came back into the room, an ear to the phone.

"Tickets?"

"Tickets."

* * *

Meanwhile two lone conspirators watched the sun set, one frowning while the other was smiling.

"Do you think we did the right thing, sensei?" the first one asked. The wind blew past him, carrying mixed scents of sushi, in particular wasabi. He wore the traditional outfit of a chef, his figure with broad shoulders and a tall body.

"Ah. I've had a talk with several people concerning the past seven years." The second figure grew serious. She looked of at the sun, sadness and determination showing through. "It's gone too far. It's necessary for their sake, even if they don't understand."

* * *

Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Reminiscence  
Author: Cloudy Moonshine  
Rating: T  
Summary: Several years have passed. Things have changed. It's hard to remember the past. They used to be a team who could rely on each other through the darkest times. Can they be that same team again?  
Dedication: To my friends, all of them.  
Disclaimer: I don't own prince of tennis.

* * *

"Ne nee-san." Fuji said the next day during dinner. He smiled gently at her. "Sorry for not telling you earlier, but I have to take a trip to Japan for a couple of weeks."

Yumiko smiled back. She had long golden hair, the same color as Fuji's but longer and wavy. She had an easy smile on her face and sweet eyes framed by long eyelashes. "Good. You need a change of scenery, and maybe you'll finally capture that inspiration that's been running away from you for you photography projects."

"Gomen nee-san." Fuji looked apologetically at his sister. He had been restless the past of couple of weeks, pacing around the house, leaving for hours on end just walking around San Diego, completely lost in thought. He couldn't even begin to imagine how much his sister had worried for him. "Would you like some souvenirs?"

Yumiko grinned at the gesture. However it slowly fell of her face. She asked hesitantly, "Syuusuke. Could you get in touch with Yuuta?"

Fuji froze. "Y-yuuta?" That wasn't a name he had heard in years. His otouto and him - everything between them, every ounce of their bond was destroyed. Any hope to salvage that relationship, to Fuji, was nonexistent. But he would rather not think about it. "Ano, nee-san..."

"Please. Just find out if he's doing well." Her eyes looked at him, pleading. He felt like they were tugging at his heart.

"A-Alright nee-san." Fuji couldn't deny her, no matter how much he wanted to.

Yumiko looked down at her plate of food, eyes shining. "If you want, Syuusuke, I'll come with you."

"No! I mean…" Fuji's eyes widened as he bit his lip. The tone of desperation was a little surprising. However he didn't want anyone with him in case his mask broke. "It's ok. I'll find him." '_Demo…'_

Flashback

"_Aniki," Yuuta asked brokenly. "Who are you?"_

"_I don't know. I-I don't know."_

End Flashback

That was the last time they had spoken to each other.

Since then, Fuji had avoided _everyone_. The only reason he was still with his sister was because she was too stubborn to let him go. Maybe she had known that between him and Yuuta, he was more broken and torn apart inside.

Fuji didn't know whether he should be mad or partly grateful. She was possibly the only reason he was still partially sane. Not fully because… even now he still didn't know where inside himself his true self was. It had been bugging him since Seigaku. He had distracted himself with tennis and friends. However nationals really opened his eyes. And the stuff after…

He shrugged off the small frown on his face in favor of his usual smile. "So nee-san, I hope, while I'm gone, you'll spend more time with your boyfriend."

The reaction was instantaneous, exactly what he had hoped for. As a small blush slowly spread on her face, she tartly replied, "That is none of your business, Syuusuke."

The atmosphere returned to its normal, friendly self. Yet despite that, Fuji inwardly feared the changes to come. And he really hated change.

* * *

Echizen Ryoma growled. There were few reasons that would make him emit such a fearful noise. Yet most of those reasons stemmed back to the present reason to do so: his father.

"Baka Oyaji. Why do you have to come with me?" Ryoma was not pleased with this turn of events. He thought returning to Japan would be the perfect reason to get away from his father for a couple of weeks. After all, his father could follow with their luggage and kaa-san instead of leaving kaa-san with Nanako. Now here he was, at the airport, with his father grinning lecherously at the women passing. The embarrassment at having to acknowledge this man as his father had no boundary.

"Urusai, seishounen. She's my sensei too. Besides," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "Another way in the quest to annoy you has presented itself."

Ryoma huffed and turned away to hide the small smile on his face. Despite his extreme dislike towards his father, he knew the presence would help him against the shock that would come at seeing his close-to-death sensei. And it would be a shock. All his memories associated his sensei with words like discipline and strength. The possibility of seeing her at death's door frightened him, though he would be loathe to admit it.

As he turned to look at the time on the flashing board, his eyes caught on to a pair of sharp blue eyes. The moment those eyes met his, everything seemed to stop. Memories were filling his mind, special times that had been seen by his eyes, those blue eyes, and seven other pairs. Was it possibly that the reunion would begin sooner than expected?

His father, noticing his stiff, rigid posture, asked, not with concern since that was not his nature but something close to it, "Oi, gaki, what is it?"

Nanjirou followed his son's gaze to see a familiar figure. One of his brat's former Seigaku teammates. And said teammate was walking this way, the familiar smile painted on his face.

"Echizen," Fuji smiled happily. Fuji was dressed in a blue dress shirt that matched his eyes and black slacks. The sight of the camera in his hands and the smile on his face guaranteed that this was indeed Fuji. Ryoma was displeased to see that he himself was shorter than Fuji by an inch. "It's been a while."

"Aa." Ryoma pulled his cap down to cover his eyes.

"So," Fuji continued brightly. "Where are you headed to?"

Ryoma looked back up at his sempai's face, slightly curious about the changes he might see. He was disappointed to see Fuji looked the same as always, though there was a hint of dark circles under his eyes. Otherwise he looked to be at the peak of health. Though his pointless questions also had remained the same. "Where are you going?" The best defense is to answer a question with a question. And Ryoma liked the irritating effect that accompanied it.

Fuji just tilted his head to the side, still smiling. "I see you won't answer. I'm returning ho—to Japan."

Fuji's sudden switch at the end provided the easy knowledge that something did change. That glint of curiosity in his eyes roared into an open flame for a need to know. A challenge. Just what he had been hoping for. "Aa, me too. So you heard about sensei?"

Fuji's smiling dimmed down to almost neutral. "Hai," he replied softly. "I hope we make it in time."

Silence fell as they pondered their current predicament. Until, of course, the third member of their party chose to speak. "Hoi, seishounen. It's time to board the plane. And, I believe, your friend is on the same flight as us so you can catch up later. The flight from San Diego to Tokyo is long, and," a glint appeared in his eyes. "There are too many beautiful women to see in too little time."

Ryoma rolled his eyes while Fuji let loose a small laugh. Definitely one person who had withstood the tests of time was one Echizen Nanjirou.

* * *

Eiji was sitting on the airplane, fairly bored. He had tried to convince his aniki to come with him under the pretense that he needed someone to be with him when he met sensei. Of course that wasn't entirely true. Honestly, he had not wanted to dwell on the current state of affairs. However the long flight would inevitably force him to think, something he didn't enjoy doing.

He would be seeing his team again. He didn't need any confirmation from anyone, though he had received a short email from Fuji saying that he was on his way. If Fuji was sparing time to go to a place that he had never wanted to return to, then everyone on the team was coming. And sensei was probably the only reason anyone would return. Other purposes would have been blissfully ignored without another thought.

Tezuka. Fujiko. Taka-san. Inui. Kaidoh. Momo. Ochibi. _Oishi_.

He missed Oishi the most. Or rather, he didn't know how about the present Oishi, but maybe the Oishi of the past and the relationship they shared. So much friendship in a single bond. Before his brother, Oishi was at the top, even above his family in the area of trust.

Eiji shook his head, wiping his eyes to stop the flood of tears that would destroy him. He couldn't do this anymore. After _that_ happened, he had to be strong for his family and show them that they needn't worry about him. He was the youngest, but he was resourceful. He had his success to prove it.

"Excuse me, sir, are you alright?"

Eiji looked down to the seat next to him and forced a smile. Of all his luck, he was sitting next to a young boy, around ten years old. Why did he always sit next a child who could easily detect his emotional state? For the last hour or so, with his emotional rollercoaster, the child had been caring and tried to start small conversations. Eiji had tried to indulge the boy and himself, but his heart wasn't in it. Whenever he looked at the boy, he saw a miniature Oishi with a smile on his face. The boy's haircut didn't help much either.

"I'm fine," he responded weakly. "Sometimes the memories just don't stop."

The kid put a hand on his arm with the most Oishi-like look that it scared Eiji. "Sir," the kid smiled cheerfully. "We still have a long flight. Can you help me choose a movie to watch? I've never heard of any of these."

"Movies?" Eiji perked up at the thought. A distraction. A _fun_ distraction. "Sure, but you'll have to show me the options." Forgetting those memories that had disturbed him earlier, he puffed up his chests. "Everyone says I'm a movie buff. I'd like to see that menu try to show a movie I've never seen." After a second, he added, "English or Japanese movies, of course. I'm still trying to learn French."

The rest of the flight was full of distractions. Exactly what he had wanted.

* * *

Many many hours later, a groggy Ryoma and an ever-so-cheerful Fuji exited the airplane, in Japan one more. When Fuji poked the tired Ryoma forward, Ryoma growled at him, glaring with anger. "Fuji-sempai," he growled. "You didn't let me get _any_ sleep on the plane. Leave me alone."

Fuji just smiled once more. "Ne, Echizen. Doesn't that redhead over there look familiar?"

Ryoma followed Fuji's gaze. "…Kikumaru-sempai?"

The redhead in question turned upon hearing his name. He put a hand to his chin, studying the two in front of him. "Fuji to…Echizen." He gave a tired smile. "It's a surprise bumping into you at the airport."

"Eiji." The warmth in Fuji's voice was unsurprising, though his gaze was relentlessly scrutinizing every detail. "How have you been?"

While the two discussed the past and lost connections, Ryoma took the chance to really look his sempai over. And what he saw surprised him deeply. He thought he wanted to identify the change, but this was completely different from when he spotted Fuji-sempai.

The ever bright happiness that had been constantly present was dimmed down to an atom-size twinkle. Also the random _nya!_ That usually appeared at the end of his sentences were gone. All that was left was a hint of formality and seriousness.

"Hora, let's go!" Apparently Nanjirou was done staring at women and wanted to move on the next location. "Oi, seishounen. Which hospital is she at?'

"She's not at a hospital."

"Heh?!" The three turned to Eiji, eyes wide open. "Is she crazy?"

Eiji shook his head. "When I called Taka-san, he said she didn't want to stay at the hospital. Apparently there was too much white and no good food."

"Baka-baba," Nanjirou muttered. "Never does anything right. Oi, boy, lead the way."

Ryoma rolled his eyes and pulled his cap down. "Oyaji, urusai." He started walking before noticing the others weren't following. "Oi," he called out irritably. "Are we going or not?"

Fuji smiled amusedly. "Echizen, the exit is the other way."

Ryoma pulled his hat down and walked back the other way, hiding his red-stained cheeks. He looked at his father warningly. "Not another word." Heading towards the exit, he thought '_When will the embarrassment end?'_

Thank you for reading!

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Reminiscence  
Author: Cloudy Moonshine  
Rating: T  
Summary: Several years have passed. Things have changed. It's hard to remember the past. They used to be a team who could rely on each other through the darkest times. Can they be that same team again?  
Dedication: To my friends, all of them.  
Disclaimer: I don't own prince of tennis.

* * *

"Tezuka," Oishi asked worriedly. "Do we really have time to stop somewhere for lunch? We need to find sensei A.S.A.P."

Tezuka shook his head. "We don't even know which hospital she's at or if she's changed homes. It's best if we get information first."

The two were in Tokyo after their long flight from London. Oishi was forced to ask for leave from the school under the lie of a family emergency. Of course, he wouldn't see it as a lie because to him, sensei and the team were family. Tezuka easily got off his job with the promise to scout potential tennis stars in Japan. The income wasn't so great that Tezuka needed to stay. He even was getting paid leave though the pay wasn't worth it.

Oishi was about to ask how they would get such information when he noticed their current location. He smiled a little. "This place ka."

"Aa." Tezuka responded before walking somewhat confidently into Kawamura Sushi. It hadn't changed over the years. Sure, it had repainted to look newer. Inside, they found the restaurant packed with customers. The bustle and noise showed how popular the restaurant had become while they were away.

"Welcome!" a voice greeted them warmly. "Ara? Tezuka-san. Oishi-san." A happy smile painted itself on Kawamura-san's face. "It's been a long time, ne?" Kawamura-san hadn't changed much either, though Tezuka and Oishi were surprised to him there. He had aged like anyone else would, but he still held the same vigor for his cooking and customers.

"Aa. Ohayo Kawamura-san," Oishi responded nervously. "Is Taka-san here?" He wasn't actually sure why he was so nervous. The possibility of seeing Taka-san warmed his heart, but he was nervous to see how much his friend may have changed. And after not having contacted Taka-san with an occasional update, he was worried that his friend may be a little disappointed. The fact that Taka-san had taken the time to send him a letter about sensei didn't register in his mind.

Kawamura-san paid no attention to Oishi's anxiety, though it was written all over his face. "Yes. He's up in his room with Inui-san."

"Inui?" Oishi's confusion was continuously growing. When would it end? It was slowly becoming a reunion that he wasn't sure he would be comfortable with. If Eiji appeared, he didn't know what he would do. "May we go to Taka-san's room?"

"Don't worry. Go up and talk to the boy. He's missed you both a lot." That relieved Oishi a little. Maybe not too much had changed.

When Tezuka and Oishi were out of Kawamura-san's hearing range, Oishi sighed. "Really, I thought Taka-san would own the restaurant by now. Kawamura-san should be enjoying his retirement."

"Iie," Tezuka disagreed. "Even then Kawamura-san enjoys feeding people. He won't leave unless it's necessary."

Oishi smiled. "That's true." They stopped in front of a door, memories of long times laughing coming into mind. Oishi knocked on the door. "Eh, Taka-san! May we come in?"

The door flew open to reveal their surprised friend's face. "Tezuka. Oishi. When did you two get here?" To their eyes, Taka-san hadn't changed a lot. He still had a burly figure, but the friendly smile put them at ease. And the happiness at seeing his friends was clearly evident.

Oishi, reassured by Taka-san's unchanging personality, laughed a little. "It's good to see you, Taka-san."

Taka-san rubbed his head. "Come in. It might feel a little big since all my stuff is gone."

"Nani?" Oishi asked. Stepping into the room, they noticed that the room was completely bare except for a pot of tea with a couple of cups beside it. "Don't you still live here?"

"No. I'm just partnering with my dad. Otherwise I stay home with my wife and son."

Even Tezuka looked surprised by this statement. A member of their group was married and had kids?! However a calculating voice interjected, "There was a ninety percent chance you would be married. It's really nothing to be surprised about when all the data is collected."

"Inui," Tezuka greeted, not warmly but there was a trace of happiness at seeing an old friend. At Seigaku, Inui was one of the few people who had an interesting outlook on the world that drew Tezuka's attention. His love for details and analysis and Tezuka's amazing observational skills clicked.

"Ah Tezuka. Eighty-six percent chance that you have stopped playing tennis. Ninety-seven percent for Oishi."

"Same old Inui," Oishi said with a laugh. "Straight to the statistics. How have you been? Last I heard you were doing some coaching."

"You're mistaken. That was Momoshiro." Inui smiled. "It is understandable since you've been buried in your studies. I'm a journalist at Pro-tennis, under Inoue-san."

Oishi hid a sigh of relief. He had feared that there would be many traumatized tennis players around the area. The thought of those horrid drinks continuing on scared him. Only Fuji had smiled about those drinks with something akin to delight, maybe at their devastating effects where other people were concerned. Happily, he was mistaken.

"Though, I have continued my experimentations." An eerie smile appeared on Inui's face as he pulled a drink out of nowhere. "Would you like to try some?"

"No!" Oishi said a little forcefully. Realizing the force behind his answer, he gave an apologetic smile. "It still gives me nightmares." _And I can't believe the world must continue fearing those drinks_, he thought to himself. _Maybe it's a good think I want to be a doctor. There will be a lot of victims in the future_. He shuddered.

Taka-san tactfully changed the subject. "So why are you here? You could have called me."

"We thought this would be the best place to find you," Tezuka admitted. However he wouldn't add that he had long since lost any contact information he had, throwing it into the trash in the hopes of never seeing them again. He didn't want anymore connections to his old tennis playing days. "Do you know where we can find sensei? I'm not sure which hospi—"

"She's not at one," Inui interrupted.

"Nani?" Oishi exclaimed. The smile that was previously on his face fell off. "Why?!"

Taka-san bowed his head a little, as if in mourning, which scared Oishi. "She wants some peace. She's staying at her new house closer to Seigaku."

"So that's where she is," a familiar voice remarked. Three pairs of eyes turned to find Fuji at the door, the ever familiar smile etched in their memories on his face.

"Ara, Fujiko?" Taka-san was bursting with happiness and delight. "When did you get here?"

Fuji smiled brightly at Taka-san, sharing the happiness. "Just now in fact. Echizen and Eiji are behind me." The two stepped into the room behind Fuji, similar smiles on their faces. Oishi was surprised to note a tired and serious undertone in Eiji's smile. He also noticed that Eiji was looking at everyone but him.

Echizen, on the other hand was openly yawning, bringing a hand to his mouth. After his father had left to check on their old house, the exhaustion seemed to be coming back. Noticing the stares, he shrugged. "Fuji-sempai was on the same flight as me. He wouldn't let me sleep." Fuji just smiled in response. Of course the sadistic tensai wouldn't regret it. Echizen's eyes studied the figures in the room before commenting, "So only Momo-sempai and Kaidoh-sempai aren't here." The bickering of the two rivals was undeniably absent.

"Actually, they were here yesterday." All eyes turned to Taka-san. "They said they'd visit sensei today." Seemingly ominous, a cell phone began to ring. "Ah gomen." Taka-san turned away from the group. "Moshi moshi. Kaidoh? Aa. Hai, go left. Yes, the white house. Hai. I'll be there in an hour… Actually, everyone's here at the restaurant. Aa, I'll bring them with me. Ja ne." He switched off his phone and turned to the group. "Would you like some lunch first? Then we'll go to see sensei." The group nodded, some more enthusiastically than others.

While Taka-san went downstairs to make food, the room was silent. Rather it was an awkward silence. "So," Oishi smiled, though there was the familiar anxiety written all over his face, "how have you all been?" Typical Oishi to try and start conversation.

"80 percent chance none of you will say anything, so I'll begin. As I told Oishi and Tezuka, I'm a journalist for Pro-Tennis. I work primarily as a data-analyst more than a writer."

"Sugoi Inui," Eiji exclaimed. He had worked hard to ignore the tense feeling in his stomach. Now he believed he could speak close to comfortably. He scratched his head, smiling. "I'm a college professor," he admitted, though he was rather proud of his achievement and the steady income he had.

Oishi exclaimed, "Good job Eiji!" He wouldn't admit it, but he had been just a little worried his partner's constant change in interests would result in joblessness. "What do you teach?"

"Er, well..." Eiji looked up, putting a hand to his chin. "I started off with history. But then I just expanded into psychology, sociology… tried English and Biology as well… hmmm… and, of course, Tennis."

There was utter silence. Each member stared at Eiji in awe. Could a person really teach all those subjects? Could Eiji really teach all those subjects? "Ne, Eiji-sempai. Isn't that a lot?"

"Hmmm…" Eiji turned to the youngest member. He shrugged his shoulders. "It pays, and I've learned a lot."

Fuji smiled. "It would pay a lot. Aren't you situated in London?"

Tezuka and Oishi both looked at Eiji, surprised. Not once had they run into the redhead. Maybe because Oishi was focused on his studies and Tezuka on his teaching. And sure London's a big city. But to not at least catch a glimpse in several years was a bit too much. "You live in London?" Oishi looked at him, bewildered. "How come we haven't seen you there before?"

Now it was Eiji's turn to be surprised. However, when he finally realized that all this time, he had been talking to _Oishi_, he cooled down quickly. It surprised him that he had escaped his friends only to have been living in the same city as two of them all along. He sunk back into his emotionless façade from earlier, unaware of the knowing glances from Fuji and Echizen. "I've been busy."

The silence would have continued if not for Inui's quick thinking. "So Echizen, how's tennis going for you now that you're a world class star?"

Echizen leaned against the wall behind him, putting his hands behind his head. "It's boring," he admitted nonchalantly.

"Eh?!" Eyes turned to Echizen, Eiji's change in attitude forgotten. Surprise could be clearly seen in their eyes, well except for the obvious Tezuka and Fuji.

Echizen pulled his cap down to hide his eyes. As if it was the most obvious thing in the world, he responded, "It was more exciting at Seigaku. I'm getting tired of beating the same guys over and over again." Silence…

"That's just like Echizen," Fuji said with a smile. "Once he beats a challenge, he needs to find another." A collective nod was followed by a hat being pulled down further.

Suddenly the door opened to reveal Taka-san and several dishes of food. Carefully and skillfully, he placed the dishes in front of them, making it especially clear that the dish in front of Fuji was wasabi sushi.

After the dishes were passed out, the group said in unison, "Ittadakimasu!" before digging in with their chopsticks, good memories urging them on.

"Aa, Wasabi!" Fuji exclaimed delightfully. "It's gotten so much better." Others nodded in agreement, pleasure obvious in their first bites. Eiji had a look of bliss, unaware to the world around him. His sole focus was now on his food. Echizen thought to himself that back then, it wouldn't have been just Eiji-sempai. Momo-sempai would have had the same expression on his face.

The familiar food and company seemed to relax the atmosphere, though it couldn't cover the underlying tension. Though the food was great, talking was sparse at that point. The few people who would have started talking were strangely silent. After all, a few minutes talk can't hope to erase the lonely years that passed.

* * *

Thank you for reading!


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